🇦🇪Facts about United Arab Emirates

Archaeological layers in Sharjah’s Faya Palaeolandscape record intermittent human occupation through major changes in climate. Al Ain’s tombs, settlements and irrigation remains reveal later communities linking farming with regional exchange. Coastal livelihoods included fishing, pearling, boatbuilding and trade. The pearl economy declined with competition from cultured pearls and the worldwide economic downturn in the early twentieth century.

Treaties with Britain gave the coastal sheikhdoms the collective name Trucial States. After Britain announced its withdrawal, negotiations led to a federation of six emirates on 2 December 1971. Ras Al Khaimah joined on 10 February 1972. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum of Dubai played central roles in building the union. Oil revenues helped fund rapid changes in infrastructure, education and public services.

A majlis is a gathering space as well as a social setting for conversation and hospitality. Arabic coffee and dates often accompany a welcome, with customs that vary by household and occasion. Falconry, camel husbandry, boatbuilding and poetry connect cultural practice with older landscapes and livelihoods. These traditions continue alongside contemporary art, film, design and everyday urban life.

Al-Ayyala, shared with Oman, combines chanted poetry, drums and coordinated movement, often with rows of performers holding slender sticks. Al Sadu weaving uses geometric patterns and skills associated with Bedouin communities. UNESCO recognises both as living intangible heritage. A kandura is a long robe worn by many Emirati men; an abaya is an outer garment worn by many women. Clothing choices and participation in traditions vary, so no single outfit or performance describes everyone.

The UAE is a federation of seven hereditary monarchies. Its Constitution divides responsibilities between federal institutions and the emirates. The Federal Supreme Council consists of the seven rulers and selects the federation’s president and vice-president from among its members. The presidency has traditionally been held by Abu Dhabi’s ruler, while Dubai’s ruler has traditionally served as prime minister. These are federal offices as well as relationships between emirate governments.

The Federal National Council is a consultative body of forty members: twenty appointed by the rulers and twenty elected through electoral colleges. This is not a system of universal parliamentary elections. The council discusses legislation and public policy within its constitutional role. Federal and local government responsibilities overlap in areas such as services and development, so a rule or working schedule in one emirate should not automatically be described as applying throughout the country.

Machboos, also written majboos, combines spiced rice with meat or fish. Harees is a slow-cooked preparation of wheat and meat, associated with family gatherings and celebrations. Coastal cooking draws on fish, while dates link meals to oasis farming. Breakfasts may include khameer bread, chebab pancakes or balaleet, sweetened vermicelli commonly paired with egg. Recipes and names vary between households and across the Gulf.

Luqaimat are small fried dough dumplings often served with date syrup. Arabic coffee, or gahwa, is commonly offered with dates as part of hospitality. Karak, a strong milk tea, reflects South Asian connections and has become a familiar part of daily life. The country’s restaurants also serve the food of its many resident communities; contemporary dining is much broader than a single national menu.

Emirati describes a citizen of the UAE; resident and citizen are different categories. Migration has brought people from South Asia, other Arab countries, Southeast Asia, Africa and elsewhere to work, study and build family lives. Coastal, oasis, mountain and Bedouin histories remain part of local identities. A resident population total is not a count of workers, and any demographic percentage needs a date and a clear definition.

Islam is the state religion, and residents also practise other religions. Family, neighbourhood and professional networks shape daily life alongside international connections. Women participate in education, public service, business, science and the arts, with experiences that differ by setting. Working schedules also vary: the federal government’s pattern differs from Sharjah’s local government, and private employers have their own arrangements within the applicable rules.